Expect The Unexpected
by hope-is-4ever
Summary: After being around Vash The Stampede and his genocidal brother for so long, you would think a girl would be able to cope with anything. But how was she to have expected this? KxM, VxMi
1. The Clues

A/N: I know. You're saying that I should be working on my other stories, but I couldn't help myself. But at least this little four-chapter fanfic is already done and written. I'll release each chapter about every week or so.

And this will be an adult fic, which means there will be adult content, but not until the final chapter. The edited version will be here and the unedited one will be on my website (see my profile for the address).

Hope you enjoy it!

A big thanks to my sister and beta, EternalSorrow, for editing for me!

* * *

She _really _should have known better. Or if not, then she should have taken notice of the obvious signs and avoided this situation altogether.

But then again, exactly why would she have been expecting _this_?

What was happening was so far out of her range of expectability as to be laughable. At the moment, though, she couldn't seem to find the humor in running for one's life.

Well, maybe not her life; not that she was one hundred percent sure of that. But then, one couldn't be completely sure considering the circumstances.

And who knew what would happen next. She wouldn't have been surprised if pigs had started flying, everything had gone so topsy-turvy.

Even though she'd been living with two plants for over a year, this was still _way_ beyond the realm of reality and more than half-way into wonderland.

Or maybe all of this was some horrible nightmare; one that she couldn't seem to wake up from no matter how hard she pinched herself.

_Flashback_

Everything had started out perfectly fine and normal, or as normal as life got when living with tow plants. The four of them, meaning herself, Millie, Vash and Knives, had decided to buy a large house about twenty miles outside of the city of December. By selling both Millie's and her own apartments they'd had enough to buy the place and extra. Buildings built outside of cities and towns were never in demand.

They had it all worked out, too. She and Millie would continue to work at the Bernardelli headquarters while Vash would watch over his brother. So far Knives hadn't shown any genocidal behavior, aside from the occasional rant about humans being the scourge of the universe, but they weren't about to give him the chance.

And keeping Knives far away from civilization had certainly seemed like a good idea at the time.

Even though this was done because of Knives, the person in question was largely kept in the dark about their plans. His personal records more than disqualified him from having any say in the matter. Though everyone knew that he was aware of their arrangements. He had a way of seeing through them.

Or maybe he'd just read their minds.

Heaven knew her and Millie had no defense against him. The only thing that saved Vash was his plant defenses, which barred anyone from entering his head without his permission.

Vash's control over his plant abilities was practically nonexistent, something Knives always saw fit to point out to him.

So after the four of them had moved everything into the four bedroom, two bath house they had gotten into a routine of sorts. Monday through Friday she and Millie would go to work for most of the day; it was a long drive there and back, after all. During which Vash would watch the reforming (one could hope) Knives.

On the weekends they would spend time at the house, mostly fixing it up. The last owner had been less than attentive toward the place. When they'd acquired the building, the roof had leaked horribly, the porch overhang had looked about ready to cave in, and other numerous problems had presented themselves.

Not that they hadn't known about the problems, but one didn't usually expect to wake up one morning and find that the house had flooded with water, the plumbing having rusted away.

The four of them had lived in this fashion for over half a year when the symptoms, as Meryl now called them, had started.

It had begun like large problems usually do, quietly. Until it's ready to rear its ugly head and bites you in the behind.

At the time they had been unnoticeable little occurrences. Such as when, around Christmas, the twins had argued over who would get to do what. Both of them had wanted to put the star on top of the tree. Then they'd had a small war over which one got to cut the bird for dinner.

Even the planet of Gunsmoke had its own type of turkey, though it was vastly different in looks from its Earth cousin. The only things they'd had in common were that neither could fly and that they tasted alike. While a chicken had feathers, this bird did not. Its body was covered in a brown, thick hide to insulate itself against the hot sun. And instead of clawed feet it had large, flat flippers with sharp points at the end.

By the time they'd finished, there had only been tiny, bite-sized pieces left.

At the time the incident had been unbelievable. Meryl had never imagined Knives to act so . . . well, childish. She had no trouble seeing Vash do such a thing, but he'd been more intense than usual.

The twins had vaguely resembled two animals fighting for dominance . . .

_End Flashback_

She would have been laughing at it, but right now the situation was much too serious for it. As there was a little bit of time for thought, she went over other signs that should have tipped her off to something being wrong.

_Flashback_

This behavior had continued from then, varying in degrees from small quarrels to all-out brawls. After a particularly bloody battle when they had both ended up with cuts and bruises all over themselves, Meryl had asked them why they'd been so aggressive lately.

They had given her identical looks of confusion and promptly told her that they had no idea what she was talking about.

_End Flashback_

That had been about two months ago. Since then they had become gradually more violent until after one particular incident when all hostilities had mysteriously ceased altogether.

_Flashback_

She had been inside the house with Millie at the time. The twins had been out in the backyard, working on some siding. The window in the kitchen, which faced the backyard, had been wide open. And the kitchen was where the girls happened to be, preparing dinner.

The sounds of their conversation floated in as the two friends quietly went about making the meal. As was typical between the two brothers of late, an argument had sprung up eventually; over what exactly Meryl had never figured out.

"You're wrong, Knives! The board needs to be longer, not shorter!"

"I will ask for your advice when I believe it is needed, not before!"

She and Millie had exchanged looks of exasperation and distress. Whatever was between them, the girls had wished that it could have been resolved rather than them continue to bicker like children at every little thing.

But their prayers were not answered that time, for shortly afterward they had heard the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh.

Both of the girls had dropped what they were doing and rushed for the back door, hoping to stem off the worst of the fighting.

As they made it outside, Meryl had taken one look at the twins and immediately ordered Millie to go and get the medical kit.

The backyard was a large open space of desert that spread out for miles broken only by large boulders and the small shed off of the house. And then there had been the cliffs. About a mile away they stood, seeming to jut out of the sand. Their shadows had always towered over the house during the hottest part of the day, mercifully bringing a cooler temperature when they needed it the most.

While the big girl went and got the medical supplies, she had cautiously walked up to the mass of tangled limbs and blond hair that was rolling about on the ground. Already she had seen two bloody lips and numerous other cuts and scratches on their faces and naked torsos. Meryl had decided that they must have taken their shirts off in the heat.

She had just about decided on her plan of action to separate them-which involved a lot of browbeating and yelling on her part-when Vash growled out a few words, with more viciousness than she though possible for him, that stopped everyone in their tracks.

"You can't have Millie, Knives!"

Meryl froze in shock, mouth hanging open in surprise. Just what was that been about, she'd wondered?

Knives had also stopped moving, but instead of being surprised he had been suspiciously staring his brother in the eye. Then he spoke, and his voice was deeper and rougher than Meryl had ever heard it before.

"I never wanted that one, you idiot."

The short woman was simply stupefied and only watched as the two stared each other down before Vash gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. Whatever they had communicated between themselves, it seemed to have stopped the fighting.

They had then untangled themselves from each other and it was after they had stood that the two of them noticed Meryl. Neither of them had even had the decency to look embarrassed by their actions. Instead they both stared at her with looks that had clearly asked what she wanted, as if moments before they hadn't been rolling around on the ground, beating each other to a bloody pulp.

She had finally found her voice and her irritation and confusion had been clearly heard. "Just what in the world were you two talking about!"

Vash had waved his hands in front of him in a placating gesture. "It was nothing, Meryl, I swear. We were just having a little discussion."

The angry woman had then turned to Knives. "Well?"

His eyes had narrowed and told her in a tone that a parent would use with their overly curious child, told her, "Simply a little misunderstanding between us that is now cleared up."

She had been just about to continue the conversation when Millie burst upon the scene with the medical kit and set about hustling the two men inside the house to clean up.

_End Flashback_

Now she dearly wished that she'd run after them and badgered them until they confessed all. But now it was too late, and she and Millie would have to manage with the circumstances as they were.

Though it would have been nicer if they knew what they were dealing with . . .


	2. The Results

A/N: **PLEASE READ**. This story will be four chapters long, as in I have already written it and will be posting a chapter a week.

Also, I wanted to tell people about my website which you can access through my profile. Please visit it! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments in my new forum. And the full version of the final chapter will be posted there!

And thanks to The Messenger of Glory, New Days Dawn, ShadowDemon-Gengar, Lily-chan, and Ana for reviewing!

Chapter 2: The Results

_Previous Chapter_

Now she dearly wished that she'd run after the two plants and badgered them until they confessed all. But now it was too late, and she and Millie would have to manage with the circumstances as they were.

Though it would have been nicer if they knew what they were dealing with . . .

_Now_

In Meryl's estimation the situation couldn't really get much worse. Maybe it was the humidity around her, but she found her thoughts drifting back to yesterday morning, when everything had been sane and normal...

_Flashback_

The two girls had been planning the twin's 135th birthday for over a month. They'd made a cake that held each of their favorite flavors; on the right was a glazed, white cake that reminded one of doughnuts, which was Vash's favorite, and on the other side was, of all things, angel food cake which Knives had finally (after much bugging) confessed was the flavor he liked best.

They had gone into town on the specific mission; to find them presents that would fit their individual tastes. For Vash they had gotten a coupon for $$200 for the doughnut shop he went to, along with an extra large bottle of hair gel.

Knives had been a little trickier; after all, he still hadn't liked to talk to them unless necessary. So for him they had gone to Vash for advice. He'd recommended they get him writing utensils and paper, for one. Knives, he had told them, was a prolific writer. He tended to write down all of his thoughts. They'd found a fancy shop that had boasted the largest collection of pens, pencils, paper, and other such things. Inside they had bought a few quills made from toma feathers, along with several notebooks, each with a different style of paper.

The two insurance ladies had been pleased with their gifts. Their only fear was that the two guys would not feel the same. Sure, Vash would pretend he liked them, but they didn't want him to have to make a pretense of enjoying what they'd gotten him. Knives, they knew, wouldn't give them that problem; he had no qualms about telling them exactly what he thought about anything.

After lunch, on the day of their birthday, Meryl and Millie had sent them into town to get a few things. It was an obvious ploy to get rid of them, but the guys had left anyway and the two ladies had gone about fixing up the house with birthday decorations.

All day long the two of them had been unusually quiet. Even Knives, who commonly said a few words, had said nothing. And then there were the looks they'd been giving the girls all day; they had been intense, long and unblinking stares. At one point Meryl had turned around and found Knives looking at her as if he wanted to devour her. She'd felt like prey and he had been the frightening predator. But then the plant had blinked and the moment had passed on, leaving only a slight tension in the air between the couple.

Both of the ladies had been glad to see them leave, for more than just to have the opportunity to set up their party.

The cake had been put on the kitchen table with the presents beside it. Everything had been set up; numerous streamers of gold, blue, and green covered the living room and kitchen. They had even blown up similar colored balloons and strewn them about the floor.

Each of the girls had also dressed up for the occasion. Instead of her usual suspenders and plain shirt, Millie wore a white blouse with flowers on it and blue jeans. Meryl had replaced her usual white outfit with a dark blue spaghetti strap top and matching skirt of the same material.

The guys had arrived a little after sundown and Meryl and Millie couldn't resist turning off all of the lights, covering the house in darkness. When the two of them had come into the door Millie had flicked the switch and both of them had yelled a loud, "Surprise!"

The two men had looked about themselves. One of Knives' eyebrows rose, but as he hadn't made a scathing remark they had taken it as a good sign. When Vash met their eyes, neither had been surprised to see tears shining in his eyes, almost making them look as if they were glowing.

A large-and true-smile had lit up his face. "Thanks guys."

The festivities had been long and joyous. The silence that the two men had had earlier that day seemed to have disappeared. The party had crept long into the night. At one point Meryl had looked at the clock on the wall and been shocked to see that it was almost ten o'clock. She had then glanced at the rest of the group. Vash and Millie had been sitting on the other side of the table from her and one look had told her that both of them had been as drunk as skunks.

She had inconspicuously snuck a look at Knives, who had been sitting on her right. He'd been like her all evening, only drinking marginal amounts of alcohol. He had appeared to be as relaxed as Meryl had ever seen him, so she'd taken the opportunity to strike up a friendly conversation with him.

Meryl had decided to start off the talk with a question one was regularly asked on their birthday. "I was curious, Knives. At exactly what time were the two of you born?"

He'd given her a narrow-eyed glance from the corner of his eyes, clearly expressing his annoyance. As such, she was surprised when he answered her. "Neither of us are positively sure, but I have estimated our birth to have been around eleven o'clock at night." He had taken another sip of his drink. "We were told that the crew had been asleep when the emergency system in plant room C had gone off, alerting them to a foreign object in one of the plant bulbs." He snorted into his glass. "The fools thought that we were a threat to them. Cowards, afraid of two babies. No doubt they would have disposed of us if it hadn't been for that naive woman."

Meryl had known to whom he'd been referring and had wondered if Rem still would have made the same choice, given the disasters the twins had created, or more specifically, Knives. She had told herself that she would need to ask Vash one of these days.

Vash had stood then, interrupting any further conversation between Meryl and Knives.

"Hey, Knives," he'd groaned, "could you help me outside? All of a sudden I don't feel right . . . "

Knives had sighed, but gotten up, and helped his brother out of his chair and outside the kitchen door with Vash leaning heavily against him.

Meryl had turned her attention to Millie and decided that her friend had had enough for the night. The big girl had mumbled about cakes and cookies as Meryl had led her into the living room.

She'd sat Millie on a chair, which had been facing the kitchen, when an extremely bright and blinding light had suddenly shone into the house. It had come from outside the building, in the direction of the backyard. When Meryl had shaken off the spots in front of her eyes, she had looked to her friend to confirm that that had just happened.

Apparently a bright light shining in her eyes had immediately sobered the big girl up, for when she returned Meryl's stare her eyes had lost their haziness and had been focused.

"What was that, Meryl?" she'd asked her partner in a small voice.

Meryl had taken a deep, calming breath. "I don't know, Millie, but we should go find out if Vash and Knives are alright."

The two of them had cautiously moved toward the kitchen, stopping off at a closet on the way where they held their weapons. They had learned that it was a good idea to come prepared for anything. For all they knew that light could have been another bounty hunter after Vash. Or even worse, Knives and him could have been fighting again.

As they entered the kitchen neither had heard even the remotest sound of a battle outside. If anything, the air had been dead silent.

Something hadn't felt right to Meryl and as she and Millie had walked closer to the door, she had felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The air had almost felt electrically charged the closer they'd gotten to the backyard and where Vash and Knives had been.

Both of the ladies had crept up to the back door, careful not to make any noise that might have given their position away. Guns at the ready and with a nod to Millie, Meryl had grasped the handle. The door swung outward and with a push Meryl sent it flying open and with Millie at her heel had charged out the door.

One could only have imagined their surprise when they encountered absolutely nothing outside. There had not been a sign of any explosions or of a bloody battle. The entire area had even been empty of any people, including the two men.

They had slowly and dazedly walked out into the middle of the yard, looking every which way in the twilight for any indication of what had happened.

Meryl had stood there, hands hanging loosely at her sides and each still holding a derringer. Millie had walked up to her, just as confused as her partner.

"What's going on, Meryl? Where are Vash and Knives?"

She had been about to answer her question when something had floated down in front of her face. Meryl had watched with wide eyes as the white object had floated to the ground. She had bent down and picked it up, finding it to have been a beautiful and soft white feather.

"What in the world . . . " she'd uttered in amazement.

A sound from above had startled her from her musings and she had glanced up at the sky and froze.

_Fallen angels._

That had been Meryl's first thought. With their blond hair, beautiful eyes, and superb bodies, scars or no, they looked as if they'd just come down from Heaven. Then, 'I didn't know that they could grow wings...' Feathers had covered their bare chests and the tattered remains of their shirts had littered the ground. The wore only their jeans One could have seen that the wings originated from their shoulder blades.

They were looking down at herself and Millie with bright glowing eyes of blue and turquoise. The only movement amongst them had been their wings, which were continually moving to keep them in the air.

She switched her gaze to Millie and had seen that she also had noticed them; her big blues eyes were wide in shock as she stared at the twins.

They hadn't felt threatening to Meryl, but neither had they been friendly, either.

When they had started to slowly descend she and Millie had taken a few steps backward, watching the two plants warily.

They had landed with more grace than Meryl had ever been able to boast and folded up their wings behind themselves. The girls had reached an unspoken agreement that they would see what the two men would do first.

Neither of them seemed inclined to speak. It had been as if they'd been assessing the two women, which made the short one think that they had not been their usual selves.

And so the four of them had stood in the backyard for a good five minutes before Meryl couldn't stand still any longer and took a tentative step backward. Vash had disappeared in a swirl of feathers and it had taken the frantically-looking around women a moment to discover that he had made his way behind them. They had been trapped between the feathered beings that used to be the twins.

And then they had slowly begun to step toward the girls. Their steps had been measured and even with the feathers that had covered their bodies, Meryl couldn't feel any real terror from their approach. But that hadn't meant that she had been going to just stand there.

Meryl had decided to try and talk to them. "Vash, Knives; just what in the world are you doing?" Or maybe yell at them.

Neither had given any indication that they had heard her. Millie tried also, but she'd received the same lack of response.

Then Meryl had tried to side-step around Vash and toward the house, but he blocked her by unfurling a single, long wing.

Meryl hadn't been particularly happy about the decision she'd made after her escape attempt, but she'd felt like they'd had no other choice.

She and Millie had developed signals between each other in case they couldn't communicate with words. So she had given the sign for her to shoot her stun-gun, and at Vash.

Millie had obviously been reluctant to follow the command and had hesitated. Both of the men had been within a few yards and Meryl had again told her to do it.

The sight of them closing must have hardened her resolve because in a quick move belying her size, she had fired off her large weapon. The hit had been directly on target and in a mass of feathers Vash had been caught off guard and propelled straight into the house. Because of how close he had been when hit, his body had crashed quite hard into the building, cracking the brick that had made up the outer wall.

Neither women wasted the opportunity to make a break for it. Hoping Knives wouldn't catch them, they had taken off through the house, grabbing the keys to the car on the way by. Millie had been lookout when Meryl had jumped into the vehicle and promptly started the engine. She had never been so glad to hear the sound of gears grinding and coming to life. But her glee disappeared quickly when she had glanced at the gas gauge.

The tank had been almost completely empty!

The young woman cursed Vash with every foul word she knew for not filling it before coming from town. But there had been a tank full of gas that they had kept in case of emergencies, had come the hopeful thought. A loud explosion rent the air Meryl had jumped out of the vehicle and watched as the roof of the shed flew through the air.

'There goes the extra fuel," she'd mused to herself, watching her idea go up in smoke. Then thought had stuck her. They couldn't have known about the car and their escape plan, could they? Then that would have meant that the two plants, even in their current state, were more than capable of capturing them.

They couldn't hide in the house, they would find them quickly in there. So the only other option open to them had been the cliffs. The two women had explored them before so that both of them had known where there were caves to hide in, and in the dark they might have had a chance to escape undetected.

Grabbing a hold of Millie, they had started out at a run toward the mountain of rock. They had looked behind themselves constantly, expecting to see winged creatures flying after them.

But they were over halfway to the base of the cliffs and there had been no sign of Vash or Knives. They'd slowed down their pace, no longer able to keep up their sprint, when the earth beneath them had begun to quake.

Both of them had stopped as they tried to keep from falling over as the shakes had grown consecutively larger. A light in the blackness of the night had caught their eyes and both had looked back at the house and seen that a bright light, like the one earlier, had completely engulfed it and had been coming their way. There had not been any chance to outrun it so they had braced themselves as they too had been covered in the white light.

The first thing Meryl had noticed had been how warm she'd felt. It hadn't been similar to the sun on a hot day, but more like she'd been wrapped in a warm cocoon. She'd never been so calm and comfortable before.

Then the light had passed and she and Millie had been left standing in the dark, staring at each other in amazement. Nothing seemed to have changed.

"Meryl," Millie had whispered in awe, "what was that?"

The woman in question had been about to tell her that she had no idea, when the shaking began anew; except this time the tremors were even more fierce. A loud cracking had split the air and they had turned their heads toward where the house stood. But they couldn't see their home. Covering it and most of what used to be desert were dark objects that had looked suspiciously like the trees and other vegetation that Meryl had only ever seen in geoplants.

And the dark green patch had been spreading across the sand toward them.

Erring on the side of caution, Meryl had risen to her feet and started to run toward the cliffs.

"Let's go, Millie!" she'd yelled at her partner.

The big girl hadn't needed to have been told twice. Both of them had scrambled around on the rocks that had been slowly getting large the closer they'd gotten to the mountain. But running had been a futile gesture. Just as they'd reached the first roots of the rock mountain the sand beneath their feet had miraculously turned into grass and trees were beginning to pop up out of the earth like Meryl had seen sandworms do. One second it had been a patch of grass, the next a large tree-a palm, she'd guessed-had sprung up and reached for the sky.

Another rumble had gathered right beneath where they were running and ahead of them Meryl had spotted a small dark, puddle of water that was growing ever larger by the second.

She'd felt a wetness on her feet and had looked down, surprised to see water forming amongst the grass. She had seen it spread very quickly and in a split second had realized exactly what had been going on.

She'd noticed that Millie had also noticed the water, but had not yet come to the same conclusion as her. Already the water had reached their ankles and was growing deeper at an alarming rate.

"Millie-"

Her warning had been interrupted by a roaring sound, rather like when a sand steamer was coming closer, and then a geyser of water spouted right between them. Both women had the sense to get as far away from the rushing water, but they'd had to dart off in different directions.

By the time they had reached higher ground and turned around, an entire lake had sprung up out of the earth between them, just as Meryl had feared it would. They had found themselves staring at each other from over a distance of one-hundred yarzs. Water completely filled the little valley that lay at the feet of the cliffs. The vegetation had completed its growth and dense vegetation had covered the land around the water.

As the two women stood gasping for air and thought over a solution to their situation, a sound had come from the direction of the house.

It had been the noise of beating wings.

In the distance both of them had made out the forms of two large, winged creatures making their way toward the lake. Looking back at each other, the two insurance ladies had known what they'd needed to do; avoid capture and hopefully they would be able to meet back up later.

_End Flashback_

That had been two hours ago. Originally Meryl had planned on sticking close to the lake, especially with the forest being so dark, but she'd realized that that would have made her an easier target. So she'd left the water behind and began trekking through the thick underbrush and trees.

Even with the situation as dire as it was, she'd taken the time to admire the beautiful scenery, bathed in the light of the moons. Plants of all colors and variety dotted almost every square inch of ground. The rest was covered in a soft carpet of grass that cushioned her feet with every step.

The air was moister than she'd ever thought possible. Eventually the humidity had forced her to strip off her cloak and she'd draped it over her arm, making sure that the guns secreted within were still readily accessible.

There were no animals in the newly created environment, but there were still familiar and soothing sounds for her to listen to; such as the wind running through the trees, rustling their leaves. She'd always liked that noise. And if she strained her ears, Meryl could hear the lake in the distance, lapping gently against the shore.

It was something of a comfort that all of this would not disappear in a few weeks. With the large supply of water, and if it had a strong and dependable source, this paradise could last for a very long time to come.

But even the scenery had not distracted Meryl from the question that had been bouncing around in her head: how had all of this come to be?

How did a forest and lake suddenly appear in a matter of minutes? And in what way did that bright light fit into all of this?

Eventually she stopped walking and leaned against a nearby tree trunk that was situated in a small clearing. She ran a hand wearily over her face and stared at the starry sky. Her body felt like rubber, a combination of stress, the humidity, and a lack of food and water.

It must have been nearing two o'clock in the morning and the last time she'd eaten had been around seven in the evening.

A groan escaped her lips. Oh why had any of this happened! One moment they were all having a good time (except maybe Knives), celebrating the twin's birthday, and the next she and Millie were having to run from the two men.

What could have caused all of this? Certainly there had been signs of...something, but why had it occurred today. The day had been like any other. The only difference was that Vash and Knives had turned one year older...

Wait! Maybe that had something to do with it! Who knew, maybe at the age of 135 going completely out of control and sprouting feathers and wings was normal for plants...

It was a possibility. A strange one, but nothing today had been anywhere near normal.

So lost in her thoughts, Meryl hadn't noticed that the air had changed. The humidity had gradually vanished, only to be replaced with a tense, charged atmosphere. And then she suddenly _knew_ that there was someone on the other side of the tree she was still leaning against.

And they knew that she was there as well.

Meryl's body instinctively stiffened when she realized that she was no longer alone.

There were only a few options open for her. She could either try and make a run for it, or take her chances and face him. The twins, or at least Vash, had already shown that their speed far excelled her own, so she opted for choice number two. The young woman knew that there might be a point where she would have to use her weapons. The insurance lady girded herself and in as fast a move as she could muster, moved around the tree and pointed her derringers in front of herself.

And met nothing but thin air.

Her body sagged as her mind registered that no one was there. She'd been sure that there had been someone standing here...

Hands with grips of solid steel clamped around each of her wrists and wrenched her arms above her head.

Meryl gasped and began twisting her body around in an attempt to jerk herself free of whoever was holding her. The two guns were grabbed from her hands. Now unarmed, she used a well aimed foot and kicked the person in the knee.

A roar of pain and she was free and moving a few yards away, out of their reach. Only then did Meryl turn around and face her assailant.

She wasn't sure what, or who, to expect, but the sight of Knives standing there, one hand rubbing his injured knee, froze her blood. She would have much rather have had Vash. At least he didn't have a history of mass murdering people. And with the way both of them had been acting earlier, there was no telling what they would do.

He still had his wings, she noticed. But at some point he'd lost the feathers on his chest and his shoes. Clothing wise, only his pants remained. Knives had let go of his knee and was glaring at her, undoubtedly angry at her for hitting him.

Keeping an eye on him, Meryl furtively glanced around, looking for her cloak that she'd dropped after he'd grabbed her. She found it on the ground, right in front of Knives.

Somehow she had to get to those guns. Her mind working fast, she came up with the rough outline of a plan. Success was slim, but the young woman wasn't going to give up without a fight.

She slowly began to step backward until her back hit a tree. The insurance lady watched the plant, whose eyes were still glaring at her, the entire time. Taking a deep gulp of air and girding her loins, Meryl quickly slipped to the other side of the tree.

And came face to face with Knives.

His left hand was held up in front of him, palm facing and at level with her forehead. The breath was coming fast and hard from her lungs, both from surprise and the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins. Her eyes resembled saucers and her body had frozen.

Knives had a faintly smug smile on his face and Meryl felt her hackles raise as they always did when the plant was mocking her. Her anger gave her the courage to lash out at him with one hand closed into a fist. Which he caught easily in his crushing grip. A frustrated sound, like a growl, came from her lips as she was thwarted.

A faint frown formed between his eyes and he had an indecisive air about him. This and a faint crackle, like static, were her only warning. Feathers erupted from the hand in front of her and reached out and touched Meryl's flesh.

Memories and thoughts not her own assailed the young woman and quickly overwhelmed her. Her head felt as if it was being split apart from the amount of information being pushed into it. For what felt like an eternity she endured this torture until blessed unconsciousness brought relief.


	3. The Explanation

A/N: Next chapter, just as I promised. I hope those of you who are reading it are enjoying my little story.

A special thanks to dbzfan82 and Lady Hitomi Albatou for reviewing!

---------------------------------------------

Chapter 3: The Explanation

When the young lady awoke, her senses told her that she was in a confined area. The echo of water flowing nearby told her that much.

She was also lying on her side, but on what exactly Meryl had no idea. Whatever it was, it was soft, and fluffy. Further thought was interrupted when, what had to be an entire band, marched right into her head and started playing.

A groan passed her lips and joined the other sounds around her. Her head had never before hurt this much. Even the numerous concussions she'd sustained during her travels with Vash and Millie couldn't compare.

She had no idea how long she laid there. Minutes seemed to have turned into hours as her head throbbed painfully. But eventually the pain subsided enough for her to be able to open her eyes. Which she immediately closed again. Even the meager light in the cave, for that was what Meryl had seen in the moment she'd had her eyes open, was too much for her.

It took another few minutes for her to calm the drumbeat in her head that had risen again when she'd opened her eyes. This time she cracked them open slower, looking out from under her eyelashes.

The cave was larger than she'd thought it was. Made of granite with veins of quartz mixed in to create white streaks, it was about twenty yarzs wide and, from where she lay to the front of the cave, was about thirty long. And she had no idea how far behind her the large hole went.

Nearby a small stream with clear water ran past her over the rock floor. Surrounding it were small, lush plants that were growing out of cracks in the rock. Flowers the color of red, blue, and yellow bloomed in profusion amongst the green.

One of her hands moved against the softness cradling her body and she turned her attention to what lay beneath her. A deep inhale of breath sounded from her as she beheld a mass of white feathers surrounding her. They'd been spread into an area the size of a queen size bed with dirt piled up on the sides. The amount of feathers stunned her. There were several inches deep of them! If she didn't know any better, the insurance lady would have thought that she was laying in a nest!

With delicate slowness Meryl sat up, taking care not to aggravate her aching head. But that didn't keep off the wave memories from bombarding her poor mind. They were intensely real, this time. One second she was staring at the mouth of the cave, the next she was looking over a field that appeared to go on forever. It was filled with many white flowers and odd, small flying creatures she'd never seen before. They had multicolored wings and fluttered about from flower to flower.

Then the view moved to the right and it dawned on her that she was looking through someone else's eyes. This time she found herself staring at two other people. One was a woman with long, black hair, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. The smile on her face was warm and Meryl had a feeling that she would have liked her.

The other person was a young boy, about the age of ten with long, golden hair and green eyes. He seemed vaguely familiar...

As she watched, the young man gave the older woman an adoring look and asked her something about...humans? An odd topic choice, Meryl decided.

When she answered him, she mentally tripped. Had the woman just called him _Vash_? There was no way that that little boy could be the broom-head she knew. Unless...unless this was a memory from when he'd been a boy. But then, whose eyes was she looking through!

The scenery abruptly changed, as if in reaction to her question, and Meryl discovered exactly who. Blue eyes framed with long, white-blond hair stared from a mirror at her.

Oh, God...

Without warning a torrent of memories, thoughts and feelings fell upon her.

_A large man with a cruel face yelling at her. Fear had a name; _Steve

_That same man inside a large capsule. A small pad with numbers and letters on it. Smug self-satisfaction. The true monster was gone and others like him would soon follow._

_Computers beeping and talking. The propulsion system was failing, just as he'd planned._

_Poor, naive Vash; mourning over that foolish woman._

_Shooting stars falling from the sky. It is only marred by the sight of thrusters kicking on. No matter, they would all perish for their crimes._

_Why was he pointing that gun at _me_? Hot rage and frustration. He still hasn't figured out who the real enemy is!_

_Pain, both physical and emotional. His own brother had shot him _again_. Had a century taught him nothing? Next time he would make sure that Vash learned_ _his lesson._

_Sick enjoyment. Now my brother was tainted as well. He'll come soon and then everything will end between us. _

_A ceiling with pealing paint. Not again! He couldn't have failed again! And to place him amongst humans...Disgusting! But they did present another opportunity for him to hurt his brother..._

_Calm resignation. He would give Vash a small amount of time to prove to him that humans had the right to live. But the fool has chosen to use the small and large females as a starting point. The tall female, Millie, is no more than a child, but the tiny one...Meryl...she will bear watching._

Bile rose in Meryl's throat as awareness returned. She leaned forward on her knees and put a hand over her mouth. So many horrible memories...

The young woman had known that Knives had done some appalling things in his life, but never had she imagined what his memories had shown her. He'd brought about so much destruction and pain in his long life.

And she'd thought that he'd been reformable.

What a naive fool she'd been, Meryl realized, to hope that he'd change his spots after so long and so much. She wanted to laugh at herself, but was too busy holding her stomach down. Something wet rolled down her cheek and the distraught woman watched as a tear fell to the ground. It was followed by others and soon Meryl was crying openly.

The young woman wept until the tears ran out and her throat couldn't take another sob. This was getting her nowhere, she knew that, but her soft heart wouldn't let her not morn those that had suffered by Knives' hands.

She no longer felt ill, only hollow, and decided that her first order of business was to leave the cave before Knives returned and to head for the house. Whatever was happening wasn't amongst the memories she'd somehow acquired and Meryl wanted to leave before Knives showed up. Millie would have to keep herself out of trouble this one time, and with any luck the big girl would be home waiting for her.

Meryl lifted herself from the ground and stood on wobbly legs. She knew that the lack of nourishment and dehydration had left her body weak. There was no helping the food problem, but the stream was looking pretty good right now.

Slightly stumbling, she walked over to where a small pool had formed in the stream. She bent down and cupped water into her hands and tipped it into her dry mouth.

Meryl was reaching her hands down for another mouthful when a reflection in the water caught her attention. Blond hair and blue eyes looked back at her and she scrambled to her feet and stood up, facing Knives who was standing on the other side of the stream.

His arms were crossed over his chest and his pose was relaxed as he leaned against the cave wall. His eyes followed, but except for that slight movement, he kept his body completely still. His wings were nowhere to be seen.

The short woman eyed him warily, his memories flooding to the surface of her mind and reminding her just who she was dealing with. Earlier, at the house and again in the woods he'd not said a word, so she'd come to the conclusion that speech might have been beyond him.

She was wrong.

"How are you feeling?"

That cold voice she knew all too well chilled her to the bone. Now Meryl was acquainted with what he was capable of, and that knowledge scared the hell out of her. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

A mocking smile flitted across his face. "What, surprised, Meryl? Were you expecting a mindless beast, perhaps?"

She swallowed reflexively and licked her dry lips. Meryl knew that she had to pull herself together. After all, she'd dealt with this man for the past few years. She was Meryl Stryfe, for God's sake! Where had the competent insurance agent and all-around tough girl gone? She was still the same person, regardless of now being in possession of Knives' memories.

The young woman straightened her spine and faced him unblinkingly. Not only was she a strong person, but she was also an optimist at heart. And she wouldn't give up on Knives, not yet. Somewhere in him was the sweet little boy he'd once been. The trick was to make Knives realize it.

Her head throbbed and she rubbed a hand over it. "What did you do to me?"

"I've shared myself with you; everything that I've done and seen."

"I kind of guessed that," she retorted tartly. Another pang and she closed her eyes against the pain.

"You should lie down," he told her in an authoritative manner. "You'll only make it worse by moving around."

"Since you're in such a helpful mood," Meryl bit off sarcastically, "could you tell me exactly what 'it' is?"

"I've already told you." His voice was tinged with exasperation. "I've shared myself-my memories to be exact-with you."

Now she was more confused than ever. Knives had never spoken even once about his past with her. She'd asked him once about it and almost gotten her head bit off. "But...but why?"

Meryl had seen Knives angry, annoyed, and, on rare occasions, content, but she'd never seen him embarrassed. So when twin areas of pink appeared on his pale cheeks, she did a double-take. The typically unflappable Knives was actually blushing!

Which probably didn't bode well for her situation, she reflected.

She watched as Knives grew more uncomfortable and turned away from her, mumbling a few words under his breath and running a hand through his short hair.

Giving him a suspicious glance, Meryl debated on what to do. Should she make a break for it or simply wait and see what he would do next? A few more low words from the plant and she began her retreat. Telling herself that she was going to help him with his problems later-much later from the looks of it, there was no sense in staying with someone who talked to himself, after all-Meryl began to tip-toe quietly toward the cave entrance. A disapproving voice stopped her.

"Meryl."

A small, "Eep!" left her lips and she guiltily glanced over her shoulder at Knives. He was standing where she'd left him across the creek, arms again crossed over his chest and an obviously fake smile on his face.

"And where do you think you're going, hmm?"

'_Improvise, Meryl, improvise.'_

"The bathroom?" She blurted out, her back still to him.

He shook his head slowly and tsk'd at her. "Please, Ms. Stryfe, give me more credit than that. It's obvious that you wish to escape my company." She heard footsteps behind her and splashing water, coming steadily closer. "But you see, I can't let you leave." His body was so close now that she could feel the heat radiating off of him.

Meryl stepped away and faced him. "And why not?" Her stance was defiant.

Again she felt that same hesitation from Knives to tell her what was going on. He was keeping something from her, something important and relating directly to what had happened lately.

Finally, "It is none of your concern."

Her mouth fell open. "Excuse me? This is most certainly my concern. You're practically keeping me hostage here! And you have the gall to tell me that it's _none of my concern_! Give me one," she raised a single finger, "one good reason why I shouldn't walk out that entrance right now."

Meryl wished that she'd never spoken, because whatever she'd said caused a strange reaction in Knives. At least his eyes didn't normally glow. They only flashed for a second, but more than long enough to give her the heeby-jeebys.

"Do not presume that I enjoy your company," his voice low and furious. "If the choice were up to me, you would never have come here in the first place."

Well, that blew a little wind out of Meryl's self-righteous sails. It was hard for one to be mad at someone who was in the same plight as themselves. But _why_ were they stuck with each other?

Her already overtaxed brain couldn't solve this complicated riddle. Even her impromptu nap had not revitalized either her body or mind. It would certainly help if she had more pieces to this puzzle.

Her shoulders slumped from weariness. One hand wearily reached up as her headache made itself known with a painful throb. It was plain to see that Knives knew what was going on, but was quite unwilling to share any information. Meryl gave a heartfelt sigh. There was no other way around it, she would have to outright ask him what was going on.

"Knives," she began tiredly, letting her hand fall to her side, "I don't understand this at all. One moment you and Vash are your normal selves, and the next you're growing wings and feathers! Exactly what happened to you two! And everything else around here!" she added loudly, looking at the forest outside.

Breathing hard from her outburst, Meryl stared at him pleadingly, willing him to tell her what she wanted-no, _needed_ to know. In her opinion, she was too deeply involved to be kept in the dark.

Knives stood before her in contemplative silence. His intense blue gaze appeared to assess her from head to toe, lingering, to her, longer than necessary on her heaving bosom.

She wasn't sure if his decision was based on her passing his examination or that he had resigned himself to the inevitable, knowing that Meryl would eventually pry the information out of him.

"It is a complicated story," he warned, his voice betraying no emotion.

Meryl nodded to show him that she understood and to urge him to continue.

His ice blue eyes focused on hers as he began his narration. "You already know of our origins and that we are not human. But there are certain details that are unknown to you and, until recently, to myself, as well."

Meryl's eyebrows rose in surprise. She'd thought Knives had been familiar with any and all information on plants.

"Plants," he continued, sounding very much like a boring teacher, "as it turns out, have stages in life. There is the initial birth, much like humans, but after that the two species differ." His eyes gained a glazed over look to them and Meryl had the impression that he was talking more to himself than her. "It only takes a plant ten years to acquire the body of an adult. But that does not mean that they are physically mature. Many years must pass before plants enter into a stage similar to adolescence."

He stopped talking and stood there, hands at his sides and a frown on his face, staring at nothing in particular.

Meryl mulled over what he'd told her. She'd had no idea that plants even had life stages like humans, especially the part about them going through puberty. From what she did know, plants lived for a very long period of time if not abused. So what did he mean when Knives had said it took years before they became, essentially, teenagers? More than fifty, that was for sure. They might not even reach that stage until after one-hundred years, or maybe even after that...

She shot a piercing glance at Knives. Yes, that theory would make perfect sense. After all, hadn't the two of them changed around eleven o'clock, the very time he'd told her that they'd been born? Their bodies could be on clocks, ready to change at an exact moment in time.

And she and Millie had gotten front row seats to their entrance into adolescence. Goody.

To confirm her suspicions, Meryl asked Knives if there was an average age that plants reached puberty.

He knew her intentions, she could tell, but he answered her anyway. And she had guessed right. But she wanted to know more, so Meryl began questioning him about this new stage in his life, starting with why him and Vash had not simply told her and Millie earlier, when they'd found the two men in all their feather finery.

"Hormones."

"Excuse me!"

He glared at her in disgust. "You heard me perfectly, woman. Neither Vash nor myself were in our right minds because of our hormones.

She blinked at him. "I'm sorry, Knives, but you'll have to be more specific than that."

The plant crossed his arms in a sure sign that he was annoyed with her. "Our species vary in many ways, but not so for others. Just as your human males are effected by their bodies during their teenage years, so are plant males. It is, in essence, the plant part of ourselves making itself known. Though the pull is stronger for Vash and I."

Oh, no. He couldn't be talking about _that_. The situation was already weird enough without her having to worry about Knives' libido. Meryl had been through many embarrassing times, but hearing Knives talk about male urges was something entirely new and unexpected. She couldn't keep the blush from her cheeks and, damn the man anyway, he noticed and smiled smugly. It was tantamount to an 'I told you so'.

She almost regretted asking him to tell her what was going on. Almost. At least now she could prepare herself, just in case he lost control of himself again.

But some of his information bothered her, like how had he known about the whole puberty thing? Before she could ask, he spoke.

"Our sisters." His tone turned bitter. "Contact with them has become easier since our change. Apparently they have known about it the entire time, but state that to tell any young ones of it before hand would alter the experience in a negative way."

Meryl's eyes brightened in understanding. "So it's kind of like the human rituals back on Earth, when a child went through rituals on the road to adulthood?" She let it go that he'd read her mind.

"Indeed."

"I had no idea that the plants had any such thing," she mused to herself out loud.

"A human wouldn't," Knives sniffed arrogantly.

Meryl rolled her eyes, but said nothing. She turned her attention to the mouth of the cave, surprised to see that the suns were setting. How long had she been asleep? Well over twelve hours from the look of it! She looked over her shoulder at Knives, who was staring at the stream with no real interest, and her head throbbed again, though much less in intensity than before.

"Knives?"

Without looking at her he said, "What?"

"Why did you give me your memories?"

"Hormones, again."

She shook her head. "I don't understand. Why would your testosterone self give me something such as your memories?"

He exhaled and knelt by the stream. One large hand reached out and gently caressed a tiny flower, showing more care than she'd known he'd had.

Meryl's gaze crept up his muscled and pale arm to his wide and strong shoulders, watching the play of muscles beneath his skin. She'd never admitted to the attraction this man held-this was _Knives_-but a woman would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to have noticed that he was a hotty.

And exactly _why_ was she thinking this now? After everything she'd learned today about him, Meryl couldn't believe where her thoughts were leading. She was still a virgin, for God's sake! Her first time was not going to be with a psychotic, genocidal...cutie.

'_Bad, Meryl, bad!'_

She shook her head furiously, trying to dispel these randy thoughts...and caught Knives looking at her strangely. Meryl forced a smile, "It's nothing."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously and she could tell that he didn't believe her, but he let the matter drop, thankfully.

He turned his attention back to the plants growing by the stream and finally gave a response to her question.

"It wants you."

Blunt and completely unhelpful were Meryl's description of his answer. Hands on hips, she asked, "What are you talking about?"

He rose quickly and advanced on her menacingly. She stepped back to try and keep some distance between them but he grabbed her forearm roughly and brought her flush against him. "My 'testosterone self,' as you so brilliantly described it, wants to have sex with you." His grip on her arm tightened painfully. "It won't let you leave even now because it wants to throw you onto that bed it made and take you until neither of us could move and it's sure that you're pregnant."

Knives' grip had gotten extremely tight and she could feel bruises beginning to form when he abruptly dropped her arm and turned his back to her.

Meryl's limp arm swung for a few seconds. Her slack mouth refused to form coherent words and only a whimper of confusion sounded from her. This _really_ couldn't be happening to her. The distraught woman sank to the floor of the cave, crossed her legs with her head hanging down and attempted to make sense of what Knives had told her.

But her mind had already switched off from lack of food and Meryl was left with a big, jumbled mess. To make matters worse, her stomach made itself known with an embarrassing loud rumble.

"You're hungry," Knives said, stating the obvious.

She didn't even acknowledge him.

"There are plants with food on them in the forest." She heard him walk past her and stop at the cave entrance, his bare feet slapping on the rock floor. "There are also many poisonous varieties you would no doubt unwittingly consume."

Meryl didn't even feel a pang of anger at his condescending words. Shock had taken over her completely.

"I'll get you food," he told her. "You can't leave the cave anyway, until I get control of my more...primitive side."

She shuddered.

"And Meryl," his voice was deep and huskier than before, and Meryl lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were glowing faintly in the descending darkness of night. "don't do anything to set me off or I won't be responsible for my actions."

That said, Knives walked out into the woods, leaving a shivering and fearful Meryl in his wake.

---------------------------------------------

She watched him until he disappeared into the trees and only then did the young woman move from her uncomfortable seat. My God, what have I gotten myself into? she thought as she moved toward the spring.

Kneeling, she again cupped her hands into the cool water and took a long drink. Her hands shook.

'_Get a grip on yourself!'_ Came a voice from within her. _'Nothing is going to happen. Soon Knives will get a grip on himself and they could both go home.'_ This positive thinking bolstered her mood greatly, and it was then that she noticed how hot and wet her skin was. Perspiration caused by the humidity and her recent bout with Knives had made her clothes sticking to her body, especially her top.

Meryl pried her shirt away from her skin, only to let it go and feel it paste itself to her again.

"Ugh."

Living on a desert planet, she should have been used to being sweaty, but Meryl had never relished the feeling. She gazed longingly at the stream and then looked to the cave entrance. There was no sign of Knives.

An idea began to form that she knew was foolish, but trickles of water running down her back pushed her to do it. She rose and cautiously walked to the entrance. Outside the forest had turned dark and more than a little creepy. Leaves rustling and trees creaking added to the spooky atmosphere.

She brought a hand to her mouth and called out to Knives, checking if he was in the near vicinity. There was no reply.

Satisfied that he was nowhere near her, Meryl skipped back inside and knelt by the small stream. She felt rejuvenated by the promise of even a meager bath. Merrily, she stripped off her dark blue shirt. Her violet cotton bra, the same color as her eyes, stood out against her white skin. She set the article of clothing next to her and began scrubbing her upper body with water from the stream next to her in the twilight. Only the light of the moons allowed her to see enough in the cave to do so.

She didn't notice the tall form in the doorway that watched her intently with two glowing eyes. Only when something fell onto the rock floor did she look up and behold her silent audience.

"Oh, no..." Meryl whispered when she caught sight of his lit orbs. She looked down at herself, at the drops of water that lingered on her skin and the nipples that stood to attention from the cold water.

She rose to her feet on shaky legs and faced him, hands wrapped over her exposed cleavage. The young woman spotted the shirt on the floor and reached for it.

Her hand never touched the fabric.

He moved with amazing speed and she found herself pinned against a rock wall. Her legs dangled off the ground. Strong arms held her shoulders and a hard body pressed against her from chest to thigh. There was no escape for her.

Prepared, indeed.


	4. The End

A/N: Here it is, the final chapter! Sorry for being a day late, school's been a real hassle.

And for those of you of age and interested, this is the _edited version_. The unedited is at my website, which you can find by going to my profile.

Thanks to jewelofbeauty, Urufu, The Messenger of Glory, and dbzfan82 for reviewing!

---------------------------------------------

Chapter 4: The End

Being pinned to the wall of a cave by a male with sexual intentions wasn't Meryl's idea of a good time. The rocks were rough and unforgiving and Knives' body was hard. The hands on her shoulders bit into her soft flesh and she squirmed in discomfort and a futile attempt to escape him.

Focusing on his face, she looked for a sign of the Knives she knew beneath the creature holding her. Her last chance might be to reach him. If she was unable to...

She gasped as the rigid part of his anatomy pressed into her belly, telling her exactly what would happen should she fail.

The plant gave her a wolfish grin, the light catching on one elongated canine, and ground himself against her.

Fear caused her to call out to him, "Knives!"

The creature didn't even blink, but other parts of him did move. One hand left her shoulder and slid slowly across her neck, gently cupping her chin and forcing her head upward so that she faced the ceiling. A warm mouth descended upon her neck, pressing long, sensuous kisses against the sensitive flesh.

Meryl took a large gulp of air as his teeth bit softly, pulling on her skin just shy of being painful. His tongue followed, soothing over the abused area.

The same hand on her chin crept downward, teasing her skin with light touches on her throat, collar bone, until finally settling right above her partially exposed breast. It held there for a few seconds before continuing on, grazing over her still budded nipple and sending sparks of pleasure shuddering through her body. His large hand cupped the underside of her breast through her bra. He slid his large hand upward just a tiny bit and covered her, pressing his fingers into her soft skin.

He groaned and gave her globe another squeeze.

Meryl grasped onto a thread of sanity through the pleasurable haze created by his mouth and hand. Her loose arm came up and ineffectually pushed against his shoulder.

"Knives...stop."

The movement of her throat caused his mouth to deepen the caresses on her neck with his lips, tongue and teeth. Her voice was breathless, and she cleared her throat and tried again.

"Wake up, Knives. You really don't want to do this." His hardness pulsed against her, as if to deny her words.

His lips blazed a trail to her ear where his teeth gently nipped at the lobe. The hand cupping her began to move, pressing and squeezing her. His other hand left her shoulder as well, traveling downward. Knuckles tickled her side, past her waist and hip, where his hand settled on her bare thigh, right where her skirt ended.

Meryl's breath came in short pants and she felt her skin warm. His touch sent delicious tingles spiraling through her body, centered at her womanly core, which pulsed and quivered. Her arm felt heavy as she lifted it and brought it to join its mate on his shoulders. His flesh was feverish to the touch and flexed and shuddered beneath her fingertips.

Unconsciously her grip tightened on him, kneading his tense muscles. He moaned into her ear and she shuddered at the sound. His face moved away from her and she found herself nose to nose with him. His bright eyes, filled only with a blue light made even more noticeable in the gloom, knocked her from the pleasure filled spell that she'd fallen into.

"Knives, I'm human, remember?"

The word 'human' had an immediate effect upon him. His eyes dimmed and his grip on her slackened slightly. Pushing her advantage, she said, "You hate humans. You told me that many times. Don't forget that!"

His eyes closed and a frown appeared on his forehead, as if he was in great pain. His breathing became labored and Meryl had the impression that a battle was being waged within him. Barely leashed energy brimmed beneath her hands.

All of a sudden a loud groan ripped from his throat and his head fell forward, resting in the crook of her neck. The rest of his body followed suit, resting heavily on her small form. His hot breaths puffed against her skin and she squirmed against him. His hands planted themselves on the rock wall behind and to the side of her. He pushed himself slightly off of her, just enough so they could see one another.

Meryl was relieved to see that his eyes were no longer glowing, though there was still something wrong with them. His normal blue eyes stared back at her, but they appeared to sparkle with an inner light.

"...Knives?" she called hesitantly.

"Meryl," he echoed back, a secret smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Treading delicately, she asked, "Are you...alright now?"

The smile grew, "Never better."

She blinked. He was sure acting strange. "Then could you let me down?"

"No," he said, pressing even more closely against her. It was with his body brushing hers that she felt him again. His arousal was heavy and full, standing rigidly between them.

"Wha...?"

"You didn't honestly think I'd let you go, did you?"

"But I thought-"

His deep chuckle interrupted her. "I'm afraid that you've got everything wrong, Ms. Stryfe." His head leaned forward, their noses brushing. She tried to lean farther back but the unforgivingly hard wall prevented any backward movement. "The beast may no longer be in charge," he continued, "but that doesn't mean that the urge isn't still there."

"But...you don't even like me. And I'm human!" she pointed out.

His rich laughter rolled over her again and with his chest pressed into hers she felt ever vibration. "Yes, you are human, but," his gaze became heavy lidded and she saw his nostrils flare. "a very desirable one."

His lust was a palpable thing, practically oozing off of his body in waves. Despite herself, she felt her own flesh react. Her nipples, already taut, became pebble hard, aching in a needy sort of way. She knew he could feel it against his own bare chest, covered with a fur pelt of light blond hairs.

"I know you want this, Meryl." His hands crept down the cave wall beside her and settled on her hips. "I can hear your heart beating...so fast." Said heart skipped a beat. "Your eyes are dilated with excitement and," he moved his mouth to one ear, his voice low and intimate, "anticipation."

She shivered and felt him smile against her skin. He drew back and looked at her, arrogance written all over his face. Meryl felt a spark of anger at him and herself. Him for seducing her and herself for allowing her body to take control over her common sense.

With a growl she used all of her paltry strength and shoved at his shoulders. Surprised by her sudden and forceful assault, he let her drop to the floor and retreated a few steps.

Panting, her body still very much aroused, Meryl eyed him, looking for all the world like a cornered lioness.

"Don't touch me!" she spat at him.

Knives seemed to tower over her, even from the distance of a few yarzs. His presence filled the cave, choking the air with a wrathful aura. Energy flickering here and there through the air, creating blue streaks of lightening.

Ooh, was he angry at her. Whether it was her rejection to have sex with him or that he didn't like to be shoved around, she had no idea. What mattered was what he was going to do about it and how she was going to get out of it.

She took one step to the right, feeling Knives out and...ran right into a wall of energy. The sensation was just shy of being painful, but it rocked Meryl to her very bones. She didn't try to her left, one look at the smug satisfaction on his face and she knew that she was cornered. His anger, and the blue lights, had disappeared altogether.

He took his time advancing on her, his gait prowling and unhurried; like a cat savoring the final victory. When he was within arms length of her, he reached out and smoothed a hand over her cheek. Meryl cringed and shrank away, feeling very afraid for herself. Knives, she knew, could and had been on numerous occasions a very cruel person. She couldn't imagine his lovemaking being any different.

"Meryl, I'm not going to hurt you," he soothed. "Don't you think that I would have by now, if I was going to?"

"I don't believe you," she fired back.

He smiled at her. "Yes, I suppose my past deeds are against me, but I can assure you that this _will_ be different."

For him that seemed to be enough conversation as he curled his body around hers, his intentions clear. Her breath accelerated as he filled her vision. His hands rested on her body, the right on her hip and other higher, above her waist. They gently smoothed over her skin in soothing motions, meant to calm her, pleasure her...seduce her. Her own hands covered his, but whether to stop or encourage, she couldn't tell.

To admit that she didn't like it would be a complete lie. She didn't know where he'd learned the art of seduction, but he was a master at it. Already her body was responding to his silent call, a flush colored her cheeks and her breasts fell heavy, the nipples tight and aching.

He brushed his body against hers, just enough to ignite the blood in her veins, turning it into molten lava. The small gasps issuing from her throat urged him on, making his strokes bolder. Their eyes met, blue and violet. The hand near her breast slid upward with agonizing slowness until it cupped the heavy weight of her, the thumb sliding over her nipple, through her bra, and sending sparks of pleasure through her chest.

She wasn't the only one effected by his touch. A delicate tinge of pink had appeared on his cheeks, as well. His breathing was as labored as hers, puffing against her in pants. His body quivered with barely suppressed lust which brightened his eyes, making the usually cool orbs warm and caressing.

He bent his head and their lips met marginally, giving each of them a taste of the other. She sighed against his mouth and he groaned, arms suddenly wrapping around her and crushing her to him. His lips crashed against hers, no longer gentle but bruising and demanding.

And she lost herself in him for the rest of the night.

---------------------------------------------

When morning came, Meryl stirred slowly from her slumber and stretched luxuriously on the soft bed of feathers. Expecting a warm body next to her, where it had been all night, she was surprised to discover that she was alone in the nest.

She sat up gingerly, aware of new aches and pains in her body that she'd never had before. Looking around the cave, she found Knives standing at the entrance, his gaze set out into the forest. She called out to him softly.

"...Knives?"

A cold voice, "Don't make too much of it."

There was her answer. Tears stung her eyes. She felt her heart shatter and break into a million pieces under his words. The need to sob warred with her injured pride and she hastily searched for her clothing, distracting herself with dressing. He didn't say a word, didn't even look at her or acknowledge her in any way.

It didn't take her long to find her outfit and she forced herself to put them on slowly. When she was done, Meryl lifted herself to her feet, only swaying for a moment when her body protested the movement.

She brushed the pain aside as minimal compared to the pain of her broken heart, though she blamed no one but herself. Knives had made no promises. She was the one who had foolishly hoped for more. Even so, Meryl knew that she couldn't stay near him, she had to get away. Yes, leaving sounded like a good idea. It might be cowardly, but staying would only result in a complete break down right in front of him. And that would simply not happen, not if she had any say in the matter.

The distraught woman took a few steps forward, toward the mouth of the cave and Knives. When he didn't even twitch, she walked on and past him, keeping her stride casual, as if she wasn't walking away with a hole where her heart used to be.

---------------------------------------------

Knives silently watched her as she disappeared into the tree line. What an annoying woman...

Even without looking at her, he'd known her reaction to his words. Served her right, expecting more to come out of a one-night stand. And it would go no farther than that, he told himself as images of their time together surfaced in his mind. His traitorous body reacted without permission and he ruthlessly squelched the inappropriate urges.

The heartless plant stood there for a few minutes, contemplating what he'd done. When the woman had called out to him, he'd slowly regained control of himself. But even then, he'd felt the urge to have her. And not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, or in this case, human, he'd allowed his urges full reign.

It had been nothing more than a satisfying of his base urges, he told himself. And it would NOT be repeated.

He unfolded his arms from his chest and took off in the opposite direction of Meryl, intent on finding his brother.

Vash, as it turned out, was on the opposite side of the lake from the cave. When Knives found him, he wasn't alone. The large human female was sitting in his lap, sleeping peacefully. As he approached the couple, his sibling called his wings and folded them around their nude forms.

When Knives stopped in front of them, Vash asked him, "Where's Meryl?"

"She is gone," he told him, as if it was no big deal. And for him it wasn't.

But his brother was a different story. "Gone! What do you mean gone!"

The short-haired twin gave him a scornful look. "What I mean is that she has left."

Vash fell back against the tree behind him, staring at his brother in disbelief. "You let her go, didn't you?"

Knives frowned. "And why shouldn't I have?"

Millie shifted slightly and Vash glanced down at her and hushed her in a soft voice that sickened his brother.

"I know that you two spent the night together," he said to Knives. He lifted his head, sadness reflected in his eyes. "You drove her away."

The standing twin slashed his arm through the air furiously. "And why would I want to saddle myself with a pathetic human! You might love these creatures," he indicated Millie, "but I have no such feelings for them."

"You do this, Knives," Vash warned, "and you'll lose your best chance at happiness."

"Are you actually implying that I would be happy with that woman!" he asked, incredulous. "She is the perfect example of her kind; arrogant, demanding, narrow minded-"

"Kind, compassionate, _forgiving_," his brother finished, a small smile on his face.

Knives growled and turned his back to Vash. "I have never asked for forgiveness," he pointed out gruffly.

"But you want it, nonetheless." He heard his brother sigh. "She could heal you, Knives. If only you would let her."

"There is nothing to heal," he corrected. "And how could she?" he inquired. "Her life will end and mine will continue." The plant faced his brother. "We will both outlive them, brother. How can she 'heal me' if she can't even be with me!"

The young woman in Vash's arms moved again at all of the noise and he sent his brother a warning glare.

"You haven't been listening to our sisters lately, have you?"

Knives frowned and stood straight. He didn't answer him, but closed his eyes and heard the other plant's voices, calling as one.

:Yours, they are yours. But one mate you shall have and only one you shall need, for they will live as you:

His blue eyes snapped open and he stared sightlessly at the trees.

"Knives?"

He didn't answer his brother. Instead, Knives turned and walked back into the forest. Of their own accord, his feet followed a path only they knew. He let them as he mulled over his sister's and Vash's words.

The woman was now like him and Vash, and would live well beyond a human. That in itself was a startling revelation, one he wasn't sure what to think about. And the part about being 'mates', that sounded ominous to him. That a human, even a former one, could be tied to him in any way was revolting.

How could any of this ever happened, anyway? Forty-eight hours ago his life had been relatively normal. He was with two humans and his brother, but the situation had been tolerable. Now, now everything had turned upside down. His relationship with the tiny human had grown exponentially, which couldn't be a good thing. No, he corrected himself, it _wasn't _a good thing.

For a long while he was like that, thinking and walking. It was only when he heard a small sniffle that he realized that he'd run into the very person his thoughts had been revolving around.

Over the year or so that he'd known and lived with Meryl, he'd seen her in all kinds of moods; ranging from anger to quiet contemplation, but he could never, ever remember her sad and weepy. She was a mountain of strength for others to lean upon.

She glanced up sharply and he watched her face blanch. The young woman didn't move, just sat on her rock and looked at him, wearing the most heartbreaking face he'd ever seen. And he'd seen a lot in his long life.

As he stood there, he watched her demeanor transform from scared to determined. A glower formed and the tears stopped.

"What do you want, Knives? You've made your point perfectly clear. And I've decided on the best course of action," she said decisively.

He was suspicious. "And that is...?"

"I'm leaving." She slid off of the rock and turned her back to him, hiding her pain and, in a way, ignoring his presence. "You said yourself that you didn't want anything to come of our...time together. So in a few days I'll go to Bernardelli and ask for a reassignment. It's not like Vash needs two people watching him anyway," she laughed, the sound hollow to his ears.

_Leaving..._

A large part of Knives rallied against her going anywhere but into his arms. She was _his_, dammit! And he wouldn't let her go!

Ruthlessly he stamped down on these thoughts. As he'd told Vash, the last thing he needed was a human tagging along behind him. They were useless creatures, even if she now had his life span.

Unbidden memories of last night, when she been anything but unwanted, surfaced. The feel of her soft body as he'd laid beside him had been more than pleasurable. He'd felt completed. Her hair blew lightly around her and he remembered how soft it'd been, especially when he'd had his hands wrapped in those strands as she pleasured him with that tempting mouth...

The strain against the denim of his pants alerted him to what those type of thoughts were doing to him physically. His body wanted her, with an urge bordering on addiction.

What was he doing here, she'd asked him. He couldn't fathom why his feet had led him here.

"Knives," she sighed, sounding as old as he was. Her shoulders drooped wearily. "If you don't have anything to say, could you please leave?"

"No."

Something primitive and wild within him awoke and roared it's fury. She would dismiss him! As if he hadn't pleasured her to exhaustion last night; made her scream and writhe beneath him in complete abandon! Oh, no. She wasn't going to toss away everything they'd shared last night. He'd make sure of it.

It suddenly didn't matter that she'd been human and that he hadn't wanted her. His long legs ate up the distance between them and she squeaked in surprise as he whipped her around and crushed her lips to his.

She didn't respond, but neither did she push him away.

"Why are you doing this?" she agonizingly whispered.

His tone and answer were simple. "Because you're _mine_."

She stiffened against him and glared. "So now I'm a possession?"

"I don't know what you are," he answered truthfully. "But, I do know that I want you, here, with me." He looked confused at his own words, a frown marring his handsome features.

Meryl didn't say anything, simply looked into his blue eyes as if searching for something. He tightened his arms around her, fearing that she would try to leave him. He'd never really thought about what it would be like if she left, went on with her life somewhere else, without him.

She wouldn't be there in the morning when he woke up, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. The arguments that they'd always had and he'd always enjoyed, in a perverse kind of way, would go with her. There were other reasons why he would miss her and wanted her to stay, but they involved emotions he wasn't willing to deal with at the moment. Maybe some other time, after he'd made sure she was staying. And she would stay, even if he had to tie her to his bed. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing...

The young woman in his arms sighed softly, snapping him out of his daydreams and back into reality, and the very real fact that she might try to leave him.

"Knives, I'm going to ask you this only once, why did you come here?"

Even though her tone was light and inquisitive, Knives felt that her question contained another, deeper meaning. That if he were to answer wrong, she would leave him and, in some way or form, she would no longer be his for the taking.

He cleared his throat nervously, debating on what answer to give her. But he finally told himself that he'd might as well give her the truth. She'd probably see right through any lies he might conjure up, anyway.

"I wanted to be here."

She blinked and he waited, breath held.

Then, a dazzling smile lit up her entire face and he expelled all of his doubts in a puff of air.

"I guess that will do, for now," she told him, still smiling.

He had no idea what she meant, but pushed it aside for later. It wasn't important right now, because she was staying right here, with him.

And as he kissed her again, long and deep, Knives knew that though this had been completely unexpected, it was not unwanted.


End file.
